Through The Wormhole
by danyphyronix
Summary: After Into the Nexus, Ratchet accidentally gets pulled into another dimension in an experiment gone wrong. Sasha Phyronix hears about this all the way in the Solana galaxy and decides she needs to help, seeing a chance at redemption for her inaction during the Dreadzone fiasco. I rated it T, but K plus would probably work.
1. Chapter 1

"Honestly, it's not a big deal. I'm fine," Sasha spoke to her father through a video commlink. "I'll talk to you soon, OK? Love you, bye," she snapped her phone shut and chucked it on to the couch of her two bedroom apartment. She absently flipped the holovision onto the news and stepped into her tiny kitchen to reheat some leftovers from a stir fry place.

It was a nice enough apartment, though she had never bothered to decorate it. Everything was shiny and cold. It was easier to clean that way. She lived on the 200th floor of a high rise on planet Kerwan. She took a liking to the planet after her brief stint as a politician. After she had reached her term limit as mayor of Metropolis, she decided to pursue a career in architecture. The planning, detail, and coordination it took to create the breathtaking skylines of her favorite cities was both soothing and challenging for her. At first. She still put in 12 or 14 hour days, but it was becoming unbearably predictable.

Her father called that day because a large scale printer had jammed at her work. In response, she had pulled her concealed combuster and shot the thing. President Phyronix may have heard about it from one or 14 of the witnesses in the office. Or the viral video of it. The incident was out of character for her. So much so that her supervisor didn't seem to know how or if she should be punished.

She took the cardboard container half full of hot noodles and protein out of the microwave. _Now they'll have to order a new printer,_ Sasha thought with a mix of embarrassment, guilt, and pride. She grabbed a cup of coffee out of her single serve machine. _Maybe I do need a little outlet these days, like a roller derby or something._ Sasha perched on a stool at the back of her little kitchen island. She ignored the weather report on the holo as she alternately sipped her caffeine and slurped her noodles. Her ear twitched as she heard the unusual cadence of a terachnoid's voice on the holo angled behind her. The species was uncommon in the Solana galaxy.

"In stranger news, former Dreadzone contestant Ratchet was accidentally sucked into another dimension today when-"

Sasha choked on her coffee, sputtering a bit and missing the next couple sentences. She turned in her chair so she could actually watch the holovision. Qwark was on screen now. The interview was coming from some kind of terraformed space station in the Polaris galaxy.

"I'd just like to say that we have the situation completely under control. After all, where would that fluffy yellow ball of inexperience be today without these gloriously toned biceps? These astoundingly…"

 _Idiot._ She peered past Qwark into the background of the interview. A young Markazian with a jet pack was on one knee, her hand on the back of a small robot, green eyes staring dejectedly at the ground. _Oh, God. Clank's not with him._ A quick burst of panic flashed through her chest, an emotion she hadn't felt since her days on the Q Force. She mentally slapped herself for referring to her old crew with that insipid name.

The Q Force. Not the Starborn 138. Not Captain Phyronix's crew. Not the heroes of the Starship Phoenix. Old rage towards Qwark crept into the pit of her stomach. _Idiot. MORON._ She straightened in her chair as she took a calming breath, regaining her composure even though there was nobody around to judge her. _Maybe Qwark isn't as stupid as he seems. He had to have gotten this far somehow. I was just a young commander on my first active duty mission. I was just jealous._

"…and what, specifically, are you planning to do to recover the lombax?" the diminutive pink reporter pushed his microphone closer to the big green oaf.

"We are hard at work, crowdsourcing a solution."

"Crowdsourcing?" Sasha spoke in sync with the reporter.

Qwark dramatically snatched up the microphone with the reporter's hand still attached. The poor news guy dangled helplessly a few centimeters off the ground before slipping out of Qwark's hand and crumpling to the dirt.

"So if anyone happens to have a spare dimensionator we can borrow, hit me up on Twitter therealqwarktastic with the hashtag 'sharemywormhole'."

 _Idiot._

Sasha shook her head, cleared her half eaten dinner off the counter, and went on with her evening routine.

Answering emails…

 _Clank isn't with him._ The duo had been completely inseparable during their time on the Phoenix. The few times she had tried to separate them for one mission or another, Ratchet's decisions consistently resulted in close calls and the need for emergency air support.

Running on the elliptical….

 _Clank isn't with him._ Ratchet had always been the optimist. The one to push through despite precisely calculated terrible odds. The one who could and would physically crash through any obstacle. Without Ratchet, Clank was as good as paralyzed.

Taking a shower…

 _Clank isn't with him._ Clank had always been the level headed one. The one to explain all the "nerdy" stuff that was necessary to survive space exploration. The one to aim Ratchet's energy in a productive direction. Without Clank, Ratchet was as good as dead.

Flopping into bed…

 _I have to go to Polaris._


	2. Chapter 2

Sleep didn't happen for Sasha that night. Her mind seemed to work out a hundred possible scenarios without deliberate effort on her part. She was a decent pilot. A decent shot. A good captain. Unfortunately, (fortunately?) she could not think of anything she had to offer Clank that necessitated her actually leaving her home and career. She tossed in bed from one side to the other, trying to readjust the blankets when they became tangled in her legs.

He needed Ratchet, not her. Clank needed the uncalled for optimism, the ridiculous arsenal, the willingness to fight like there was nothing to lose. _He needs to know how to build a dimensionator._ She had no idea what a dimensionator was, but she guessed that whatever device Qwark had mentioned on the holo was the thing Ratchet was messing with and got himself "accidentally sucked" into another dimension. _So I need to basically act like Ratchet and master mechanical engineering._ She tossed in her bed again. She stared at the wall, trying to clear all thoughts from her mind with a meditation technique she'd been taught long ago. It didn't work. With a heavy sigh, she stood, dressed, and started packing.

It was midmorning on Eudora and only about a six hour drive from Kerwan. Sasha had called in sick to her company's answering service. She wasn't sure how many times she'd bother doing that. Or if she would chicken out and return home. She padded slowly up to a split level suburban home. This home seemed a few meters father away from the other houses in the development. The yards were all impeccably maintained. Lush greenery and peaceful bird calls surrounding Sasha made her feel a little guilty for what she was about to do. Taking a small breath to brace herself, Sasha knocked on the door. It opened within moments, but her bracing breath did little to hide her cringe at the image of the figure in the doorway.

"Well hi, Captain Sasha!" came a cheerful voice.

"Good morning, Al."

"You're just in time to check out the beta version of the latest Fire and Ice vidcomic," he pulled Sasha into the house. "Even this version isn't supposed to be released yet but *I* happen to know a guy," Al chuckled to himself through his nose. Well, half a nose.

"Thank you, Al, but I'm actually here to ask you a favor. "

"Sure, Sasha, anything, " he gestured towards a puffy green couch facing a huge screen. She climbed into it as gracefully as she could, being a smaller species than for whom the furniture was intended.

"I need you to come with me to the Polaris galaxy and help Clank build something called a dimensionator to pull Ratchet back home through a wormhole to the unknown."

"Anything but that."

"Al, please!" she burst. _That favor sounded much less ridiculous in my head._

"Did this plan of yours sound any better in your head?" he asked incredulously. She stared blankly into his one organic eye. He'd read her mind. Also, the number and complexity of robotic prosthetics running her friend still gave her the creeps.

"It did sound more reasonable in my head, yes," she admitted. "But after all Ratchet's done for this galaxy, everything he's been through…" she paused awkwardly. "It's the least I can do."

Al sat down on the opposite end of the couch. "Sasha," he began. "I don't blame Ratchet and Clank for what happened to me at Dreadzone. I really don't. I'm just not built for that kind of adventure." He adjusted the elbow of his robotic arm with his organic one. "Heh heh. No pun intended, of course."

"Do you blame me?" she looked at the ground.

"I… No… Wha-"

"I knew what was happening in that sector. I even called to warn you about it. How many weeks were you three gone? How much military influence, political influence did I have at the time? I could've gotten everyone out of there if I tried. And I did nothing. Not one thing." Words she'd never allowed herself to think all came spilling out at once. She kept eye contact with the ground. "He never even called to tell me you'd all escaped."

"… And now you want to make up for that?"

Sasha nodded once. Pity party over, she looked Al in the eyes, both of them this time. "I won't be able to figure out how to build this machine, so it's my responsibility to find someone who can. If you won't do it, I'll find someone else." She stood up, falling a few centimeters to the ground. She brought herself up to her full height and lifted her chin. "I won't push. But I'm asking that you think about what Ratchet would do." Al sat quietly for a moment. Sasha turned towards the door and took a step.

"Sasha, wait." He groaned. She stopped, but didn't turn to face him. There was a long pause. "Let me put together some equipment."

"We launch at 1500 hours. Don't be late," she commanded. Walking tall out the door, a ghost of a smile crept onto her face.


	3. Chapter 3

Sasha fiddled with the control panel of the ship as Al loaded several black cases of electronic equipment behind the seats. Al stared for a moment, glancing up and down the length of the sleek red ship.

"Sasha?" he asked. She mumbled a reply without looking up. "Is this a fighter ship? Where did you get it?"

"Yes," she answered. "We needed a ship with the option for cryosleep. It's a long trip. Also, we don't know how much resistance we may encounter in a foreign galaxy." She hoped he wouldn't notice that she hadn't answered the second question.

"Have you ever used cryosleep?"

"Once, yes, in Ranger training." Another pause. "Are you boarding or not?" she snapped. Al climbed in and buckled the restraints.

"I took the liberty of packing a few things to keep us entertained while we're in Polaris." Al pulled 6 volumes of 'Lance and Janice' out of a satchel.

"Seriously?" she laughed. Sasha launched the ship, alternating her attention between the navigation screen and the ship's controls. Al watched her for a few minutes.

"Do you still have a thing for Ratchet?" he teased. She closed her eyes for a moment, then slowly turned her head to give Al a burning glare that could melt steel.

"We are currently hurtling through a solar system near light speed. We're about to warp towards a distant galaxy where our mission is to assist ONE savior of multiple galaxies in locating and rescuing the OTHER savior of multiple galaxies. Is that really what is on your mind?" Another question dodged.

"OK, I was just kidding, sorry. "

"Why does everyone assume that any woman's actions towards achievement are just attempts to gain attention from a man?" she growled through her teeth.

"I said I was sorry. It's just that you guys were pretty close and you used to flir-" another glare stopped him cold. The two rode in silence until Sasha piloted safely clear of Eudora's solar system.

Al worked up the nerve to ask one last question. "Clank knows we're coming, right?"

"Coordinates set, engaging cryosleep." Sasha flipped a plastic protector off a red switch and engaged it. A haze of light green gas filled the cabin. Sasha started to drift off first, being the smaller passenger. She willed herself to stay conscious just long enough to watch Al's eyes start to close.

Cryosleep was a strange sensation. Sasha was vaguely aware that a lot of time was passing and that her body wasn't moving. Al's comments remained at the edge of her consciousness.

She remembered her time as Captain of the Phoenix well. That awkward purple uniform that almost matched her hair. The infuriating way Qwark had attempted to undermine her authority at every opportunity. The nights she and Ratchet would spend secretly planning attacks that weren't completely idiotic. She also remembered giggling shamelessly at Ratchet's stories and accidentally kissing him in front of everyone. _No wonder Al is hesitant to follow me to Polaris._ Sasha gave herself a mild scolding and made a resolution to stop snapping at Al. _If I want to be seen as a competent, independent woman, I need to start acting like one._

"Sasha? Captain? We're here," came a sluggish voice. Sasha groaned and opened her eyes. She had a splitting headache. "What is this place?" Al gestured to a massive complex situated right in the center of an asteroid field. Giant angry looking creatures swam gracefully through the space surrounding a large biodome.

Sasha worked her mouth into a smile despite the pain from the aftereffects of cryosleep. "It's a Markazian space station. I think Ratchet and Clank were using its equipment recently," she explained.

"You think? Sasha, I packed up my whole life and left half a dozen clients-"

"So did I! Okay, so this plan of mine isn't as intricately detailed as I'd like. I thought… just this once, I would jump in with both feet. It seems to work for Ratchet, anyway." She made an effort to keep smiling at Al. "I'm very grateful you decided to come with me. So, thank you. "

"You're welcome." Al yawned.

Blaring alarms and flashing warning lights overwhelmed the cabin. The navigation screen automatically switched to a radar display showing an incoming missile.

"Gah!" Sasha yelped as she grasped at her temples. "Al, disengage the auditory warning system." Gritting her teeth through her headache, Sasha reached for the steering yoke and wrenched the ship 90 degrees at the last second. The missile whooshed harmlessly under their seats.

"What was that!?" Sasha began frantically engaging the ship's defenses. A female voice rang out at them through the ship's communicator.

"You picked the wrong station to mess with, drophyd-breath! Move along quickly, now, 'cause I don't miss twice!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Al! Get to the turret!" Sasha yelled. "Take out anything else she tries to throw at us!" She adjusted the ship's communicator so that she would be broadcasting directly to the space station. "This is Cruiser 7234 Alpha. Request that you stand down. We're on a search and rescue mission and we're here to offer our assistance."

"You're here to offer assistance for your own search and rescue mission? That doesn't make any sense. Now clear the area or get blasted from the sky."

Sasha groaned in exasperation as she diverted power to the ship's blast cannons. "Requesting landing permission for the docking bay. I will explain everything in person. This stand-off isn't helping anyone." There was a short period of silence before one of the station's defense turrets started to glow.

"Uh, Sasha?" Al's voice floated nervously down from their own turret.

"I see it," sighed Sasha.

"I warned you," a singsong voice taunted through the ship's speakers.

Sasha shot a single pulse from the ship's blast cannon, destroying the turret before it had a chance to fire.

"Why, you little-"

"Hey, Talwyn!" An obliviously cheerful voice was broadcasting now. "Why are you firing on one of Ratchet's old ships?"

"Captain Qwark!" shouted Al. "Am I glad to hear you!"

"Ratchet's ship!?" exclaimed the original voice. Sasha and Al watched as several defense mechanisms retracted back into the station's complex. "Landing permission granted. See you soon."

"Well that certainly changed her tune," mused Sasha.

"You stole Ratchet's ship?" Al accused. Sasha shrugged as she maneuvered the ship into the docking bay.

"Borrowed it. It'll be right here for him when we pull him home."

"Uh-huh."

The ship's cockpit hissed as it opened to allow Sasha and Al to climb out. A young Markazian woman glided into the sparse, gray docking bay on a jetpack and landed lightly in front of them. Sasha recognized her as the same woman she had seen with Clank on the news report.

"Ratchet?" the woman asked hopefully. She tried to glimpse past them and in to the ship.

"He's not with us," Sasha began.

"What have you done with him?" the Markazian demanded. She drew two blasters from her hips and aimed at both Sasha and Al. Al put his hands up.

 _This is getting old real quick,_ thought Sasha, head pounding. She drew her own combuster, holding it in two hands, one foot forward. "Lower your weapons!"

"You lower your weapon!" the woman trained both blasters on Sasha. "This is my home! You showed up out of nowhere in my friend's ship and blew up my security system. This guy is like, half cyborg!" she flicked the gun in her left hand at Al. "And now it turns out you're not even with Ratchet! You tell me what you're doing here right now." Sasha and the Markazian stared each other down as Al tried shuffling awkwardly to the side. There was another hiss as the main door to the complex opened. Captain Qwark strode into the bay with confidence.

"Big Al!" he exclaimed in greeting, completely unaware of the situation in the room. "Captain Sasha! Are you here to help with the dimensionator?"

"Y-Yes, Captain Qwark," Al answered hesitantly, keeping his hands up. "Sasha and I thought Clank could use help with the equipment involved in the accident. We came from Solana as soon as we heard what happened." Sasha and the Markazian remained completely motionless, but Sasha thought she saw the woman's facial expression begin to soften.

"See, Talwyn?" Qwark scolded playfully. "Crowdsourcing really does work!" Talwyn the Markazian somehow managed to roll her eyes while keeping her full attention and both blasters on Sasha. Sasha successfully hid a smile, her combuster steady. "And Al," Qwark continued, "it's *President* Qwark now." Sasha's concentration snapped in half.

"Pres- President of what?" Sasha stuttered in disbelief.

"The Polaris galaxy, of course!" Sasha tilted her head towards Qwark while lowering her combuster off of Talwyn. Her gaze shifted slowly from Qwark over to Al and then back to Talwyn.

"I have a headache," said Sasha, defeated. Talwyn laughed and started to holster her blasters.

"I know what you mean," smiled Talwyn, readjusting her headband.

Sasha smiled back and clipped away her combuster. Far to Sasha's right, Al lowered his hands and visibly began to breathe. "No, really." explained Sasha. "I'm having a reaction to our ship's cryosleep. Meanwhile, is Clank even still here?"

"Yes, he's locked himself in one of the labs. Let's get you something for the pain and then see if we can get Clank out of there for an update. I'm Talwyn Apogee, by the way. This is my space station. Ratchet and Clank live here."

"Sasha Phyronix. Let's get moving." The ladies exited the docking bay quickly, Talwyn gliding with Sasha striding closely behind. Qwark and Al watched them leave, stunned. Eventually, Al broke the silence.

"Okay. What just happened?"


	5. Chapter 5

Headache finally subsiding thanks to a handful of pills provided by her hostess, Sasha followed Talwyn through the complex. It was a huge place with evidence of half-finished weapon modifications in some rooms and notes on geography and archaeology stuck to the walls of others. She was having a little trouble keeping up with Talwyn, and it seemed like they had lost Al entirely. The woman glided everywhere instead of walking. Sasha trotted dutifully behind the furless woman until they reached a heavy steel door. Talwyn knocked three times.

"Clank?" she called. "A couple people who say they're old friends of yours are here to help us find Ratchet." As they waited for a response, Al finally jogged up beside them. He leaned his robotic arm against the wall and bent forward, breathing heavily.

"Where's Qwark?" asked Sasha.

"Gone," panted Al. "Said he had to 'manage his social media presence' from Luminopolis."

"Good riddance," Talwyn said with half a sneer. She knocked at the door again. "Clank? They said they flew here from the Solana galaxy. Please come out."

The door parted open and a short, silver robot emerged, the antenna atop his head pulsing red with curiosity.

"Al?" he asked. "Captain Sasha?"

"Clank!" Sasha never thought she'd be so relieved to see the little guy. She fell to one knee and pulled him into a hug. "We're here to help. Anything you need."

"I appreciate the extra assistance, but I am not sure what either of you could do." Clank started, skeptical. He led all three of them back into the lab. Schematics of a large helmet in varying states of construction were posted on the walls and piled on top of tables. Clank stopped near a console with five different screens. They were running through programs faster than Sasha's eyes could follow.

"Before I start the repairs, I need to know everything about this dimensionator," Al stated, poring eagerly over the schematics. "Where is it?"

"I am afraid it went along with Ratchet through the wormhole," said Clank. "And we are not building another one."

"We're not?" Sasha and Al spoke in unison.

"No. We do have a prototype locked on the premises, but I do not intend to use it. These devices are incredibly dangerous even when functional. The one we still have has never worked properly. Besides, there is still a chance that Ratchet may not need to be rescued. That is what I am working to find out." He gestured towards the screens, text and graphics still flickering by.

"So…you're saying he might have actually found them?" asked Talwyn, hopeful. Sasha and Al looked to Talwyn, confused.

Talwyn explained. "Ratchet's whole species, the lombaxes, escaped this dimension with this wormhole device in order to protect everyone in the galaxy. He and Clank have been trying to find them for a long time, but they haven't been able to get the dimensionator to work right." She turned to Clank. "But now, you think we really could have found the lombaxes?"

"That is a possibility, yes. Rather than using the dimensionator's normal input of vocal commands, I was experimenting with simply running through the portals in the device's history. Before I had a chance to finish calibrating the coordinates, a wormhole opened and Ratchet went through immediately. Wherever he is, it is a dimension to which a portal has been opened before."

"But if he found the lombaxes, he would have reopened the portal to tell us he was okay, right?" worried Talwyn.

"Not necessarily," mumbled Sasha, a hint of bitterness in her voice. Clank turned his head halfway towards Sasha before addressing Talwyn.

"Not necessarily," he repeated. "The dimensionator has always been unreliable at best. He may be in the right place, but with a malfunctioning device. Or, he may be-"

"Hey, what are Cragmites?" interrupted Al, reading from a screen. All five of Clank's programs had stopped. Sasha shrugged. She turned to Clank and Talwyn, who had frozen in place. Talwyn looked as though she'd seen a hundred ghosts.

"I take it Cragmites are bad," guessed Sasha.

"Miss Apogee, please retrieve the Progs' dimensionator from the vault."


	6. Chapter 6

"If we're dealing with Cragmites, we're going to need some extra firepower," said Talwyn as she and Sasha traveled through the mazelike structure of Apogee Station. "Luckily, Ratchet keeps his arsenal in the same vault as the Progs' dimensionator."

"What is the difference between the dimensionator Ratchet has and this 'progs' dimensionator?" asked Sasha as they reached the vault.

"You know I'm not sure? I just know that this one was never strong enough to punch all the way through to make a wormhole you could go through. It's really more of a window." Talwyn tried explaining as she pulled out a security card and pressed it up to a heavy door. When the light in the center of the door turned green, she used her entire weight to pull at the handle. "I have to admit, I've always kind of wanted an excuse to use some of Ratchet's stronger weahaaaat the f-"

"Four? There are only four things in here!" Sasha exclaimed. Surprised, she turned to Talwyn, who looked dumbfounded. The ladies stared at walls peppered with empty hooks and cabinets that lay open and bare. At the center of the vault, the Progs' dimensionator stood alone on a pedestal. A beat up old dynamo sat in a corner. Sasha put a finger to her cheek in thought. "At least we know that Ratchet is well armed against these Cragmites."

"I can't believe he took it all! Did he *know* he was going to the wrong dimension? Augh!" Talwyn kicked a cabinet closed. "He even took the suck cannon." She looked around the walls for a moment, quickly evaluating the only two guns Ratchet had left behind. "Dibs on the Nitro Launcher," she said, grabbing it off the shelf.

"I think that's a Gadgetron weapon, Talwyn. It will be very difficult to find ammo for that gun in this galaxy," Sasha tried to make the borderline-nuclear weapon sound unappealing, hoping Talwyn would hand it over. Talwyn ignored her and clipped it to her back with an air of finality.

"Dibs."

Sasha glimpsed around the room and looked down at the last weapon left. Partly organic, an ugly blue facelike structure filled and emptied itself, almost like breathing. _Is this even a gun?_ "This looks like a frog on a stick," she said, unimpressed.

"Oh, that's a sonic eruptor. Ratchet said it was good, but to make it worthwhile, you have to pull the trigger when that thing's lungs are full. The timing of it drove him up the wall," Talwyn said as she unlocked a strap holding the dimensionator.

"It's a frog on a stick."

"He said it has a really wide area of effect," Talwyn added helpfully.

"It's a frog. Stuck to a stick."

"Well, maybe we'll be able to create a really narrow portal and just pull Ratchet through. Hopefully we won't even seen any Cragmites." Talwyn grabbed the Progs' dimensionator off its pedestal and headed out of the vault.

Sasha stared into the sonic eruptor's face as it breathed. _Eurgh, it has eyes. How is this even a gun?_ Resigning herself to her situation, she clipped the eruptor to her side and started jogging back to the lab. When she arrived, Clank and Al had two 3D holograms of the dimensionator floating above a table at the center of the room. They were comparing notes with each other, speaking in technobabble that she only marginally understood. Talwyn stood nearby, the expression on her face similar to her own.

"What if we spliced a software patch to help triangulate the specified dimension?" asked Al.

"I'm afraid that hypothesis was already tested by Ratchet and has since been refuted," said Clank as delicately as he could.

"Yeah. And you two numbskulls owe me some serious bolts for repairs to the North wing for that one," said Talwyn. Al and Clank ignored her, immersed completely in their studies.

"Look, there. Below the primary reflux coil," Al pointed to one of the holograms.

"I believe you are on to something, Al. That must be what the Progs were missing." Clank seemed cautiously pleased with Al's discovery.

"Is it that hexagonal washer again? Because seriously, we need to start buying stock in the company that makes those things," said Talwyn.

"It is not the washer, Miss Apogee. The schematics for the Progs' dimensionator seem to differ from the lombax dimensionator in only one place." Clank spun one of the holograms around to the back of the helmet and zoomed in. He pointed to a spot illustrating what looked like a bright blue diamond with near-microscopic circuitry pulsing light from within.

"I've never seen anything like it," Al whistled.

"It kind of looks familiar to me. What is it?" asked Talwyn.

"It is called a Zoni crystal. They are created by the creatures who built the Great Clock.."

"That's great, Clank! I think I've seen pictures of those crystals running the Clock from when Ratchet was there. Let's go and borrow some from that little Sigmund guy," Talwyn chirped, satisfied.

"Ratchet took pictures of the Great-?" Clank began, annoyed. "Never mind. We cannot go there and remove any pieces of the Clock. Sigmund would not allow it, and we would be extremely foolish to ask it of him."

"Why? What's this Great Clock? What does it do?" asked Sasha.

"It is responsible for the temporal stability of the universe. If it ever malfunctions in any way, the universe could tear an irreparable hole in itself and cease to exist."

"Of…course. That does seem important," Sasha tried to take this information in stride. She was suddenly thankful for her continued existence, knowing that Ratchet had actually been inside this thing. "So…are there any other places we might be able to find a Zoni crystal?" she asked Clank.

"They are incredibly difficult to find and not terribly well known. Only someone who has spent a great deal of time studying the Zoni and trying to understand their technology would have been able to locate one and recognize it for what it is."

"Oh, no," Talwyn said, simultaneously nervous and annoyed.

"It looks like you know someone we can approach," said Sasha. "I'm sure once we explain the situation, and maybe offer some bolts, we could come to an agreement."

"Miss Phyronix," Clank began, his tone matter-of-fact and pessimistic. "I believe Dr. Nefarious is unlikely to help us return Ratchet to the Polaris galaxy, no matter how many bolts we offer."

"Dr. Nefarious?" asked Sasha. "But we killed him!"

"Never seems to stay dead for long, does he?" said Talwyn, wiping a smudge off one of her blasters. "So you've met? And you know that we're kind of hosed without Ratchet?"

"My fleet did help defeat him once, you know…" everyone in the room looked at Sasha. She rolled her shoulders back and took a breath. "All right. Clank. Get me the blueprints for Nefarious's current residence. Al. Find out everything you can about his latest guards. I'm sure he has some and I'd bet they're robotic. Find weaknesses. Talwyn?" The Markazian looked up from her blaster. "Prepare the fastest ship you have. If Nefarious has one of these crystals, we're taking it."


	7. Chapter 7

Everyone followed Sasha's orders without question. After a period of watching Clank and Al typing away at computer terminals, Sasha stepped up behind Clank to check on his progress.

"I have located blueprints for Dr. Nefarious's base on planet Zanifar. Based on its level of energy use, I believe he is currently residing there," reported Clank.

"Good work, Clank. What do you recommend as a point of entry?"

"This section of the base suffered structural damage in the past. It is unlikely that Dr. Nefarious would have been able to rebuild it to its original strength," Clank indicated an area near a large window.

"How was it damaged?" asked Sasha. Clank's shoulders drooped dramatically with a whir as he gave her a disapproving look. "Right. Silly question. How would we use this previous damage to our advantage?"

"One well-placed explosion should be able to reopen the wall," he answered. Talwyn smiled.

"Looks like that's up to me." Talwyn adjusted her weight to shift Ratchet's Nitro Launcher back and forth across her back. Sasha wasn't nearly as pleased.

"What about security? Won't something like blowing up a wall alert the entire compound?"

"There is no indication that Nefarious keeps anything of value in that section of the base, so the security detail should be much lighter there. If you move quickly, you should be able to use the explosion as a distraction while you find the crystal." Sasha still looked unsure. "I know it is not an ideal situation, but all obvious entries of the base will be heavily guarded. We simply do not have the personnel or arsenal available to take on all of Nefarious's troops at once. This is our best option," offered Clank.

Sasha sighed. "Can you pinpoint the room where Nefarious would keep a crystal?"

"I cannot. If I had to make a guess, he might keep a crystal here, in a laboratory for active study," Clank pointed to a spot at the edge of Nefarious's base, "or here, in what I believe is some kind of trophy room." Clank moved his hand to indicate an oval-shaped room on the other side of the blueprints.

"We'll only have one shot at this, so we have to split up once we gain access the building. Will you be able to handle searching the lab on your own?" Sasha asked Talwyn. She gave a single nod in response. Sasha turned her attention towards Al.

"What do you have for us on those guards, Al?"

"Well, I have good news and bad news," he began. "The bad news is, there seem to be approximately 1,750 of them guarding the base. Also, they appear to be much stronger than most of the robotic tyrhannoids we encountered in the Solana Galaxy." Al looked inappropriately pleased with himself.

"Waiting for the good news, Al."

"Around 75% of his current personnel are robots called 'cyclobombers,'" Al displayed a photo of a bizarrely shaped robot. It had a huge elliptical head, though its single eye seemed to be in the center of its body. Long arms with cannons at the end protruded from the robot's small frame. This disaster in proportions finally ended in a single, small wheel at the ground. "They use gyroscopic sensors and built in accelerometers in order to maintain maneuverability."

"Okay…?" prompted Sasha.

"They also receive their orders from Nefarious through a closed circuit wireless connection. I've been able to piggyback my own gyroscopic reprogramming executable into the security information feed!" Al stopped proudly, clearly expecting congratulations.

"That's…great, Al." Sasha said. She and Talwyn smiled uncertainly and then both turned to Clank.

"Al wrote a virus that, when activated, will cause most of Dr. Nefarious's guards to lose their balance and fall over," Clank translated.

"Oh! Wow, Al, that's really great! Excellent work!" Sasha exclaimed. She was starting to see glimmers of hope for this suicide mission.

"Unfortunately, it will only last until Nefarious notices the issue and reboots the system. I'm estimating that will take somewhere between 5 and 7 minutes." Al handed a small remote with a single red button to Talwyn. "So don't use it until you absolutely have to." Talwyn stared appraisingly at the remote.

"Well, at least it's something. You guys can meet us on Fastoon with the dimensionator once we've got the crystal. You're not opening a portal to Cragmites in my home again, and Fastoon is remote enough that we should be able to contain an invasion in case something goes wrong. Sasha, my ship is fueled up and ready to go. Come on!" Talwyn flew immediately towards the docking bay. Everyone else followed closely behind.

"Sasha?" Clank asked tentatively. Clank calling Sasha by her given name jolted her into stopping. "I do appreciate that you came all this way to assist in Ratchet's return, but if we cannot retrieve this crystal, we will find another way. Please do not allow personal feelings for an old-" she raised an eyebrow at him, "acquaintance prevent you from making logical decisions in the field."

 _Not you, too, Clank._ "That's not the point, Clank. Besides, we are getting this crystal, no matter what." Sasha climbed into the ship beside Talwyn, who was programming coordinates into the navigation system. She nodded to the guys as the ship warmed up and taxied out of the docking bay.


	8. Chapter 8

Talwyn landed the ship just outside Nefarious's base on Zanifar. She and Sasha moved stealthily from landmark to landmark, pausing occasionally for cover. Overall, the base was cleverly situated, hints of towers poking out of the planet's rocky surface. Soon, they stopped outside the wall Clank had indicated on the blueprints. Messy soldering pasted a slightly discolored patch of steel onto the building. Sasha started reviewing the plan with Talwyn in hushed commands.

"All right, once you blow the wall, we split. You search the lab, I'll take the trophy room. Do not engage any of Nefarious's troops unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. Once you activate Al's virus, radio me and set your watch for six minutes so we can coordinate arrival back at the ship." Talwyn smirked.

"Now what?"

"Nothing. Meanwhile, are you sure you're going to be able to take on the 400-odd guards not affected by the virus?" Talwyn asked with a hint of superiority.

"I'll be fine, just do your part of the mission," Sasha ordered, a little irritated.

"Hey. I've been in the field before. From what I've seen, all you do is order people around. I don't know why Clank and that cyborg listen to you, but I need to know whether you can handle this or if I need to pick up some slack."

Sasha bristled under the criticism. "Just… blow up the wall on my mark, Talwyn. Three, two-"

BOOM!

Talwyn was already halfway to the opening before Sasha started to sprint. Five cyclobombers rolled immediately into the area. Talwyn launched another bomb into the thick of them, disabling three. Sasha pulled her combuster and held back the other two, but the gun didn't seem to be doing much of anything.

"Get to the lab, Talwyn! We don't have time for this!" she yelled over the gunfire. Thankfully, Talwyn flew off towards her objective, one of the remaining troops chasing after her.

Sasha started running down the hall in the opposite direction, but the other cyclobomber was faster. It raised an arm and smashed her into the wall. Her combuster flew from her hand and skidded across the floor. Ribs searing with pain, she flipped onto her back and started crab walking away from the robot. She watched in despair as it took aim with one if its cannon arms.

CRASH! The robot's wheel gave way and the cyclobomber landed flat on its back. Its arm fired, but the bomb went straight up and detonated on the robot's own head. _Thank you, Al!_ Shaken, Sasha scrambled to her feet and tore down the hallway as fast as she could go. As she ran, she heard a familiar voice screaming through the base's intercom.

"LLLAAAAAWWRREEEEENNNCE!"

Sasha slammed herself into a door that she was pretty sure belonged to the round room Clank showed her. It opened, so she zipped inside. When the door closed behind her, she leaned her back against it, taking a moment to catch her breath. As she looked up to see what the room held, she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Talwyn, come in," Sasha whispered into her commlink. "I've reached my objective. We have four minutes to fall back to the ship for extraction." There was no answer, but Sasha didn't notice. She was mesmerized by the massive trophy room. It was mostly white and encased almost entirely in glass shelving. Treasures from all over the universe were displayed with meticulous precision. The shelving built into the wall reached almost three stories high. Most of the displays were backlit with little gray lights, giving the treasures an ethereal glowing effect. Bits of raritanium, signed holovids, jewels, fossilized skeletons, ancient scrolls. Sasha couldn't deny that each item was more valuable than the last, but the randomness of it all painted the picture of a collector who really didn't know what he cared about, if anything.

She quietly, deliberately stepped around the room, taking inventory of each column of items individually before moving to the next set of treasures. _It has to be here somewhere._ Almost halfway around the room, at exactly shoulder-height, a small blue crystal's glow ebbed and flowed along with her heartbeat. Sasha breathed with relief, as though Ratchet was as good as home already. She watched a little longer when she noticed the circuitry within the crystal glowed just a little brighter when she thought about using it. _That's so strange. It's like it knows why I'm here._ She marveled at the Zoni and their ability to create…if not magic, then something very very close. Her thought process was wrenched away by a cold, gravelly voice.

"Thought you could steal from ME, did you?"

Sasha cringed. She knew she had been caught, but quickly pocketed the Zoni crystal, anyway. She turned around to face her old nemesis. A thin blue robot with a semi-transparent green dome encasing the workings in his head glared down at her from across the room. He was much taller than she remembered. She gulped, but straightened to stand with defiant pride.

"Wait a second," he paused. "I recognize you! You're the little cazar that flew around in Qwark's ship in the Solana galaxy. He and his 'Q Force' DOGGED me MERCILESSLY. I was stranded on an asteroid thanks to you half-wits!"

"It was my ship, not Qwark's," she corrected calmly.

"Sure… and you were in love with that filthy lombax," he recalled with hint of amusement. Sasha's fur raised slightly.

"I think you're stretching things a bit."

"I take it you're the reason most of my moron sentries suddenly decided to fall flat on their faces?" he guessed. She smiled. "Clever, little cat…" He gave her a curious stare. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to borrow something of yours to help Ratchet. He's… trapped somewhere, " she half-explained. Nefarious's eyes spotted the empty shelf where the crystal had been.

"My Zoni crystal… Ratchet must be in waaaay over his head if Zoni technology is the only thing that will save him," Nefarious thought aloud happily. He faced Sasha again and stalked towards her, red eyes greedily spotting the little pack where she'd stowed the crystal. Sasha edged sideways around the room. Rubbing his hands together, Nefarious took small steps to match Sasha's, toying with her as they circled each other. Their slow motion showdown was interrupted by the tinny voice of one of Nefarious's walking sentries.

"Sir, we caught this one smashing lab equipment," Two robots dragged Talwyn into the room, her arms pinned behind her back. She was kicking and twisting so hard it was clear the robots were having trouble containing her.

"Let us go, Nefarious! We're not even here to hurt you!" Talwyn spat. Nefarious carefully evaluated Talwyn before turning his attention back to Sasha. He started to laugh.

"BWAHAHAHA! That's rich! You've recruited your own replacement to save that furball! I tell you, each one of you squishies is more pathetic than the last. What… do you think if you're the one to save him that he'll notice you and you'll live happily ever after?" he mocked. Sasha did her best to keep her expression neutral, but Nefarious kept laughing.

"That's not the point, Nefarious," she growled. Her combuster gone, she pulled the only other weapon she had on Nefarious. That only made him start laughing even harder.

"And now, after all the times Qwark and Ratchet have failed to destroy me… You think you two girls can come in here… and beat me with a computer virus and a frog on a stick?"

Sasha let him laugh as she watched the eruptor's sides expand and contract. _This stupid thing had better work._ At the very last moment, Sasha adjusted her aim from Nefarious to the wall behind him.

BRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP! Shelves upon shelves of treasures and glass came crashing down onto Nefarious. The kickback from the sonic eruptor knocked Sasha back a few steps. Recovering quickly, she used the butt of her gun to crack one of the robots holding Talwyn in the back of the head, making it drop her. Talwyn used her newly free hand to punch the other sentry in the face. She grabbed its shoulder and drove her knee into its stomach for good measure.

"I have the crystal!" Sasha shouted as she sprinted out the door. "Let's go!" Talwyn quickly glided to catch up.

As the girls fled, Nefarious struggled to free himself from piles of shattered glass and broken collectibles. "rrrrRRAAAAAAAA! Catch those miserable little vixens, you morons!" he screamed.

"Ugh, the one day he doesn't freeze up and start playing reruns of 'Lance and Janice', right?" quipped Talwyn as she flew down the hallway. Sentries and cyclobombers appeared from every door to pursue the girls through the base and out of the hole in the wall.

They dove into their ship under heavy fire, but Talwyn managed to take off without it taking too much damage. Once clear of the planet, Sasha and Talwyn glimpsed each other from the sides of their eyes. They both burst out laughing.

"Oh my God," laughed Sasha, out of breath. "This is my new favorite weapon."

"BRRRAAAAAP!" Talwyn mimicked a belch. They laughed for another minute or so before catching their breaths. Finally calm, Talwyn turned toward Sasha. "Nefarious was really trying to push your buttons. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

Talwyn nodded, and faced forward. "At least we have the crystal." They rode quietly for a few moments before Sasha heaved a heavy sigh.

"It's not what you think," she started. Talwyn looked pointedly out the window. "Okay, it's not *just* what you think. When I was little, I always thought I was going to be the one who made a difference. That I had what it took to fight to the very end. That I could save the galaxy. I worked hard, played by all the rules, and rose all the way captain of a major starship. And I was good at it. I never got any of the credit, thanks to Qwark, but I was good at it." Sasha halted her story, not certain she should open up completely to the Markazian. "After the war against Nefarious was won, Ratchet, Clank, and Al got captured by a terrorist organization. The whole ordeal was broadcast on holovision."

"Clank told me about Dreadzone…I thought he was joking."

"They were my comrades-in-arms, but do you know what I was doing instead of helping them? I had a job as mayor of a city so I sat behind my desk, signed a bunch of paperwork, and watched." Sasha's lip curled into a disgusted sneer. "Fight to the very end, what a joke…" she slammed a hand into the ship's console. "Al didn't always look like that, you know. He used to be whole." She felt tears stinging against her eyes and her throat started to ache. She pushed the emotion aside. "When I heard Ratchet had gotten himself into a mess again… it was like a second chance. An opportunity to finally become the person I always swore I'd be. But now I'm here and everyone…"

"Since you're a girl, everyone thinks you're just doing it for your undying love for Ratchet. " Talwyn finished in understanding.

"Well, I wouldn't rule out all other factors entirely, but that's not the point," she let half a smile slip onto her face. Talwyn raised an eyebrow. Sasha raised a hand to her forehead in mock helplessness. "I suppose I'm just a weak little girl…"

"With a frog on a stick," Talwyn smiled. The two burst out laughing again as they finished their journey to Fastoon.


	9. Chapter 9

Talwyn quickly located Clank's signature in the center of an abandoned city on planet Fastoon. She landed right next to the red fighter Al and Clank had flown to the planet. The guys already had the Progs' dimensionator partly disassembled and ready to receive the Zoni crystal. Sasha produced the little blue diamond immediately upon exiting Talwyn's ship.

"Impressive," breathed Al.

"Remarkable," observed Clank. He took the crystal and carefully placed it inside the dimensionator. As Al started piecing the rest of it back together, Clank turned to the girls. "The dimensionator will need a very clear picture of what you want to find in your head. I know Ratchet best, but I do not have the physical strength necessary to contain the dimensionator once it becomes active. One of you will have to activate the device, and the other will have to retrieve Ratchet."

"I guess that means I'm on dimensionator duty," said Talwyn. Offended, Sasha wanted to argue, but quickly realized that Talwyn probably did have a better picture of Ratchet in her mind. The discovery that her memories of Ratchet were somewhat faded came as a depressing blow.

"I'll go, but I lost my combuster on Zanifar," said Sasha. "All I have is the sonic eruptor." Talwyn offered one of her blasters.

"We need the Nitro Launcher to stay on this side in case any Cragmites try to get through. Our galaxy can't handle a third invasion. Just get in and out as quickly as you can," said Talwyn. Sasha gripped the blaster gratefully. Finished with the adjustments, Al placed the helmet on Talwyn's head.

"Ready?" Talwyn asked. Sasha nodded, poised to run. "Dimensionator, find Ratchet!" Talwyn yelled as she pulled a cord at the side of the helmet. The dimensionator expanded easily five times its original size. The device had somehow gained mass as well as size, causing Talwyn's body to nearly collapse with the effort of keeping it upright. A swirling, black wormhole opened a short distance away from the group. "I don't know how long I can hold this thing! Get in there!"

Sasha balked at the edge of the portal. She glanced back at her team, reading their expressions: Talwyn grimacing in pain, Clank concerned, Al trusting. Sasha turned to the wormhole with stubborn resolve and dove through.

On the other side of the portal, piles of reddish brown boulders stacked tens of meters high were scattered throughout an otherwise flat, barren wasteland. No plants. No bugs. No life. She almost turned back. A rock pile painted with scorch marks from a recent explosion was the only evidence that anyone had ever been there.

"Ratchet?" She called tentatively. She crept towards the scorch marks, death grip on Talwyn's blaster. A hundred pinpoints of purplish light started to shimmer on top of the rock pile, joining together to form a hideous gray-skinned monster with sharp, jagged teeth protruding from its mouth. Its strong arms were cradling a large plasma cannon. The creature lazily surveyed the area before locking eyes with Sasha. Her eyes widened while the rest of her body stayed frozen. The thing roared, snapping her out of it. She bolted aimlessly away from the wormhole, mission entirely forgotten.

She heard the Cragmite's weapon fire and instinctively hit the dirt. Going down again harshly reminded her ribcage of the earlier encounter with Nefarious's cyclobomber. A rock pile to her left smashed to dust, the blast from the Cragmite's cannon only narrowly missing her. She scrambled up and tried hiding out of the thing's eyeline with her back up against another rocky cover. She quickly spun to the edge to fire a few shots at the monster. The first blaster shot hit its target, but Sasha may as well have thrown a pebble for all the damage it caused. Her second shot missed entirely when the creature redissolved into light and rematerialized a few steps closer to her. Attracted by the commotion, two more Cragmites appeared on top of their own rock piles, one much larger one materializing from green light instead of purple.

"Oh, screw this." Sasha pulled the sonic eruptor and prayed its lungs were full enough for a decent sized belch.

BRAAAAAAAAAAP! The eruptor knocked the two smaller Cragmites onto their backs, but only made the bigger one stumble. It gave a rallying cry that wrenched the smaller Cragmites back onto their feet. Sasha stood fast, timing another blast when she heard a voice shouting at her from behind.

"Get down! Get down!" Ratchet ran towards her, dragging a helmet identical to Talwyn's behind him and heavily favoring one leg. She dove onto her stomach again, the edge of her fur getting singed by whatever he fired over her. She thought she felt her ribs crack. She looked up from her stomach to see all three Cragmites being held fast by an electrified net. Sasha pulled herself to her knees and fired the eruptor at the captured Cragmites, destroying all three.

"Came right over here when I heard the frog thing! It took you long enough!" Ratchet jogged up the last few steps and offered a hand to pull Sasha to her feet. His expression quickly changed from relief to surprise. "Sasha?" She nodded and gripped at her side, leaning into his shoulder for support. Ratchet's mouth hung partly open, dumbfounded as he watched her attempt to regain composure. He looked like he had decided on a question to ask when she pulled away.

"We have to get back to the portal. I don't know how long she can hold it," Sasha gritted her teeth through the pain and tried pulling him back in the general direction of the wormhole.

"That might be a problem…" He pointed at the swirling black portal being swarmed by dozens of curious Cragmites. Sasha's heart dropped to her stomach at the sight. Suddenly, her fear was inexplicably replaced with annoyance at her old friend.

"You really need a better strategist for your adventures."

He smiled and tossed her a warmonger. "You volunteering?" She didn't answer, but took quick aim.

What followed was a massive volley of plasma and missile fire. The kickback from the huge rocket launcher slowed Sasha's progress towards the portal. With Ratchet still limping, their pace matched almost perfectly. He ran out of electric nets, but she couldn't tell what weapon he was using in its place. Bright flashes from explosions and pebbles raining down from the damaged landscape made it impossible to tell how many enemies remained between them and their home. With just a few meters left to go, Sasha saw the edges of the wormhole begin to falter.

"Ratchet! The portal is closing!" she shouted. He paused his gunfire to glance over to her. Enough dust settled to reveal that nothing remained between them and the portal. The duo sprinted towards it as best they could. Only a couple steps remained when a huge Cragmite materialized at Ratchet's side, already aiming for his heart.

"No!" Sasha cried in anger. Out of ammo, she leapt toward the monster and swung the warmonger up with all her might, cracking the Cragmite's jaw with a satisfying crunch. The Cragmite took a swipe at her as it fell, catching her in her now thrice injured rib. The blow finished her, her balance giving out. Ratchet pulled her by the elbow away from the Cragmite and towards the now flickering wormhole.

"Just a couple more steps, Sasha," he said reassuringly, struggling himself towards home.

"I've decided that I hate Cragmites," she answered, trying desperately to finish the last step of the journey under her own power.

They dragged each other through the wormhole just moments before it closed. Sasha collapsed, pulling Ratchet down with her. Not far away, Talwyn threw the dimensionator off her head like it was a poisonous snake and fell to her knees, Al and Clank rushing to tend to her as best they could. Ratchet and Sasha lay in relieved silence for a few seconds.

Ratchet sat up first. "Are you alright, Sasha?" he asked in a tone that suggested she might have just gotten a paper cut. She looked up at him, bemused.

"Oh, I'm fine, Ratchet. How've you been doing?" mocking his casual tone.

"Oh, you know, keeping busy," he grinned. Sasha smiled back in spite of herself and pushed up to sit facing him.

"You know, Ratchet, there's been something I've been meaning to tell you for a little while now," she stared deeply into his eyes. Clearly uncomfortable, Ratchet automatically began to scratch the back of his head.

"Uh…yeah?" She leaned forward and placed a hand on his cheek, enjoying the panic-stricken look on his face for a few seconds before giving him a light slap.

"I'm keeping your sonic eruptor."

Ratchet laughed as he got up from the ground. "That's fair." He helped Sasha to her feet and pulled her into a hug. Her ribs stung, but she didn't care.

"You know, next time we should go back to one of you guys being in trouble, and me charging in to save the day," Ratchet said.

"Yeah, thanks but no thanks," scolded Talwyn, rubbing her temples and breaking Ratchet and Sasha apart.

"She's right. Never going to happen," Sasha said. She smiled and gestured for Al to hop into their ship.

"Hey Sasha, are you and Al coming back to the station?" asked Talwyn.

"Sure. I think we could figure out a way to disable Nefarious a little more permanently than Ratchet can. You know, saving the galaxy and all." Talwyn laughed as the cockpit of the red ship closed over Sasha and Al.

Ratchet tilted his head towards Clank as he watched her launch the fighter out of Fastoon's atmosphere.

"Hey… was that my ship?"


End file.
